T-Nation, isn’t it about time we got rid of this rule that you cannot link to ANY other site on the web? I know that’s a bit of hyperbole but it’s quite ridiculous that you can’t post a link to anywhere else on the web without it getting taken down

I understand if user “Muscl3T3chGuy” links to a competing website, but long term users can’t even link to their own websites, blogs, or just generic sites that are part of the discussion that have nothing to do with lifting.

I’m surprised no Mod has responded to this after literally being the first post in the forums for 24 days straight. At least provide justification as to why… It’s helpful when people source material such as studies, experiments, evidence, etc.

Can you show me where the rule is posted? At one point, links were allowed and common. Way back, every post was checked by a mod and could take an hour to post and then about 10 years ago they went totally unmoderated, no language restrictions or anything. Then a couple of steps innthis direction. I had links removed in the last 4 years and was always told that it was due to advertisement from a company in direct competetion. Didn’t realize it had gone to zero links.

The policy is to not allow links to training/nutrition sites, blogs, or forums. You can certainly link to sites that don’t relate to those topics and can refer to those sites without a link (“I read a bench article by Charlie Chaplin on Livestrong”, “Benni Magnusson’s program on EliteFTS”, “Layne’s cutting plan on bb .com”, whatever along those lines.)

Lonnie123:

long term users can’t even link to their own websites, blogs

Some long-term users who shall remain nameless have, at times, tried taking advantage of this and started drifting into borderline-spammer/advertising territory when they decided to start a business and/or blog. Bad apples have spoiled the bunch. This is why we can’t have nice things. Insert other appropriate metaphor. Any user can have a link in their profile, so that’s still a way for “passive, acceptable self-promotion.”

or just generic sites that are part of the discussion that have nothing to do with lifting.

There could be other variables involved (thread context, poster’s history, etc.), but generally-speaking, if someone’s edited for linking to a non-training/nutrition/supplement site, it could be an error.

I can see not wanting links to a direct competitors website or products, but there are guys with their own training logs/blogs that cant link to them (no sales on those sites, no supplements, no Biotest bashing… if anything they help sell the stuff).

I’ll keep an eye out to see what is/isn’t allowed, but it still seems like a generally accepted “rule” that you can’t link to almost anything on this site. That an the no-PM’s are two of the things that make this place unique in its lack of features.

I can see not wanting links to a direct competitors website or products, but there are guys with their own training logs/blogs that cant link to them (no sales on those sites, no supplements, no Biotest bashing… if anything they help sell the stuff).

It a little bit of a muddy area, because even contributor’s sites aren’t allowed. I believe that’s more to do with whatever behind-the-scenes business arrangements have been made. So allowing links to members’ blogs without allowing those from site authors brings another level to sort out. The across-the-board stance has been the resolution that works best, occasional inconveniences aside.

I’ll keep an eye out to see what is/isn’t allowed, but it still seems like a generally accepted “rule” that you can’t link to almost anything on this site

Just stuff that’s training/supplement related and sites that sell supplements. But like, in PWI, there are news stories getting linked constantly. In Supps & Nutrition, some links to sites that talk about studies are fine (provided the site doesn’t have a sidebar or store selling their own products).

In my posts I often reference studies and I know we can not do PDF attachments. So with what I understand I see I could post a direct download link of the pdf on like grungephreak.com or whichever domain?